


The Reward of Distrust 3

by Bluewolf458



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: AU, Gen, Sentinel Bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-25 23:24:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13845222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluewolf458/pseuds/Bluewolf458
Summary: A slightly AU rewrite of Siege





	The Reward of Distrust 3

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2018 Sentinel Bingo prompt 'accidental hero'

 Accidental Hero

by Bluewolf

"Blair's my cousin's kid," Jim told Simon Banks. "He's working for a doctorate and thinks that the work of the police department would make an excellent subject; how we go about catching criminals, how we gather evidence... He can make sure that his dissertation is kept under lock and key so that the criminals can't get hold of a copy, to know the kind of thing we do to chase them up - he has a very understanding lecturer for an adviser."

Simon looked doubtfully at Blair. "How old is he?"

"I'm twenty-six, Captain." Blair decided it was time he put a word in. "I've actually had my Masters since I was twenty, but I delayed and delayed picking a subject for a PhD because... well, I was hoping to expand on my Masters topic, but that's proved impractical, so I had to look for a different one. I've been interested in the work Jim does for a year or two now, and once I decided my original idea for a dissertation wasn't practical, I started thinking about the work of the police as an alternative. I can show you some of the papers I've written, if you want, so that you can see the level of my work. But you can also refer to Dr. Stoddard at Rainier. He's my adviser and I work for him as a TA." He grinned slightly. "There's no way Dr. Stoddard would have a wet-behind-the-ears kid as a TA."

Simon's attention turned to Jim. "And you're willing to have him as a ride along?"

"Well, quite apart from getting my aunt off my back... "

"I made the mistake of telling Mom what I'd thought of for a new subject," Blair put in.

"I think he could come up with some good ideas," Jim finished.

"All right - it's your neck if he screws up," Simon said. "Just remember, kid - your ride along is as an observer. You're not a cop!"

"He'll just be in in the afternoons," Jim said. "As he said, he's a TA at Rainier, and he has lectures to give in the mornings. That's his paying job, and he does need the money."

"I thought your family was quite well to do," Simon said.

"Dad is," Jim admitted. "But he worked hard for it. The rest of the family... not so much."

"All right," Simon said. "Go down to Personnel and get the kid his credentials. Then get back up here and get some work done!"

***

Personnel turned out to be controlled by a somewhat elderly woman who, Blair noticed, wasn't wearing a wedding ring.

"All right, Detective, you can leave him with me," she said a little frostily.

Blair glanced at Jim, deciding that for some reason Jim wasn't one of her favorite people. Jim just nodded. "When you've finished here, come back up to Major Crime," he said.

"Okay." He watched Jim leave then turned back to the woman with a cheerful smile. "Nobody told me your name?"

"Vera Renfrew. You can call me Vera. Being called 'Miss Renfrew' makes me feel old. I may be getting on in years, but I'm not old yet."

"Of course not!" Blair said. "I doubt you'll ever be old. Now, what do I have to fill in?"

She gave him a sheaf of forms. He blinked as he looked at them. "So many?"

"If you're working with the PD, even just as a ride along, it means we have to do some background checks. Then we need a urine sample to test for drugs. Will that be a problem?" Oddly, she looked as if it might matter.

Blair shook his head. "I've never done drugs. Never been tempted."

"There have been a few would-be ride alongs that were rejected because they'd been taking drugs," she said. She sounded a little sad. "Such a waste... "

"I know," Blair said. "I've seen the damage drugs can do. That's why I was never tempted."

He settled down to fill in the forms. Once they were done, he took the bottle for the urine sample and headed off for a restroom.

He had just closed the door when he heard voices outside, as if some cops were forcing prisoners along the corridor - but something about the voices... He edged the door open a crack and peered out. He could only see backs... but none of the apparent cops were wearing uniforms... and one of the prisoners... He recognized the floral blouse; it was Vera! Something was seriously wrong here.

And then one more man came down the corridor. "Get all those enemies of freedom into one room! What happens to them will depend on what the prime oppressor does about our POWs."

Blair shivered. He knew this man - Garett Kincaid! Kincaid had lived in one of the communes Naomi had visited for a few weeks when Blair was about twelve, and even at that point and in that place many of the adults had disliked him and considered him a bad influence. He had spent a lot of time trying to teach the boys in the commune how evil the government was, how necessary it was for that government to be opposed. But when one boy had asked, "If republicans are so bad, does that mean we should always try to have a government of democrats?" only to be told

"The one is as bad as the other. All governments are evil, out to line the pockets of the rich and suppress the poor."

It had left Blair wondering just what form of government Kincaid would embrace. And even Naomi, whose views about the government, army and police were far from friendly, felt that Kincaid was taking opposition too far. As a result she had left the commune after about a month, where, Blair knew, she had originally planned to stay for at least six months.

It was doubtful that Kincaid would recognize him, Blair thought - although Kincaid hadn't changed over the years, maturing from twelve to twenty-six did provide a change in appearance that could leave the man feeling that he knew Blair from somewhere, but not remembering where. Not that Blair intended letting Kincaid see him - not if he could avoid it!

He wondered what had happened to Jim, who had intended going back to Major Crime. Blair had the feeling that Kincaid might let office staff, who were, after all, civilians, go free after he got whatever he was after - maybe - but anyone he knew were cops would certainly die.

Just what did Kincaid want from life? Power for himself, certainly... as head of his own government, with anyone resisting him on the short road to the grave.

Blair smiled a little ruefully. Just when had he become so cynical?

The corridor emptied. Blair looked at the small bottle still in his hand, then put it down carefully beside the window. No point in providing a urine sample just then - later, when - if - Kincaid was stopped, he could come back and deal with it.

He slipped out of the restroom, looking for somewhere he could hide.

***

Blair ended up hiding behind a vending machine. It seemed perfect... for a few minutes. But then someone came along and stopped in front of it. "Pay for a snack? Here, of all places?" and then the machine jolted back towards Blair as he heard a gunshot. His push of the machine, to keep it from squashing him against the wall, was totally instinctive - and powerful enough to send it crashing forward. He straightened, to see that the falling machine had flattened the man. Well, he was more worried about himself than this gun-happy stranger. He turned and ran around the corner.

He found an unlocked room and went in, crouching behind the desk. When nothing happened, and he heard nothing, he allowed himself to relax, got up and sat at the desk.

Big mistake. The door was suddenly thrown open and a gun pointed at him. "You! This way!"

He was marched along the corridor by two men to another room and pushed inside. It was full of people, including Jim. Well, at least Jim was still alive... for the moment. He and four  others were standing a little apart from the main group, and Blair thought he could guess why. These were the cops; the rest, Blair thought, were probably office staff.

Two more men - Kincaid and one he didn't know - were standing, guns pointed at the people in the room. Blair guessed that Jim was itching to make a move, but didn't dare in case he got someone shot.

Blair was pushed forward to where Kincaid could see him without taking too much of his attention away from the people he was threatening, though the two who had caught Blair were now also threatening the roomful of people.

Kincaid scowled. "You the bogey that took out one of my men?" he snarled.

Blair swallowed. "It was an accident," he muttered.

"Accident? You don't knock over a vending machine by accident!" Kincaid paused, frowning. "I know you from somewhere... "

Blair could only shake his head, and Kincaid went on, "Well, I'll remember. Meanwhile, get over there with the rest of the enemies of freedom!"

Blair went, carefully tucking himself partly out of sight behind a man who looked like a janitor. He was beside a desk, and - even in this situation - ingrained inquisitiveness made him look at what was on it.

Among other things, there were half a dozen balls, that looked pretty solid - baseball balls? Why would someone in the PD have several baseballs on his desk? But they could be useful... maybe.

Kincaid was talking to the two men who had taken Blair to the room... and they turned and went out.

Just Kincaid now and one of his men... Blair reached out very slowly and lifted one of the balls, transferred it to his left hand and reached for a second one. He took a deep breath, aimed carefully and threw. The second ball was in the air before the first one connected with Kincaid's head. A moment later the second man went down.

The group of five cops moved instantly, one moving to lock the door while the other four secured Kincaid and his man. Then Jim crossed to Blair.

"Well done, Chief." He raised his voice. "Any of you work with computers?" Three of the women moved forward. "Right - from what I overheard, Kincaid's men disabled them - you know enough to get them working again?"

They looked at each other, and one said, "I think so."

"I know a bit about computers too," Blair said.

"Okay - this way." He led them through a door that Blair had thought led only to a closet, along a back passage and down stairs, paused at a door, opened it a fraction, listening, then led the group on along a main corridor to the computer room.

Kincaid's men weren't as computer savvy as they had feared. A lot of the computers were just disconnected so they couldn't connect to the internet, and plugging everything in again soon had most of them up and running. A quick call brought the patrol officers who had been sent to a non-existent emergency back to the PD, and they arrived in time to stop a vanload of Kincaid's men as they tried to leave. Blair followed Jim as he went to help with the arrest.

A helicopter came down on the roof - "That has to be the one that was supposed to be picking up Kincaid's two men who were captured, tried and condemned to twenty years each for their part in an arson attack in Seattle," Jim said. "But despite Kincaid taking over Cascade PD, the Governor wasn't letting them go. It's probably come to pick up Kincaid now."

“The one thing you can say for the man, he’s showed loyalty to his men,” Blair muttered. Jim looked unconvinced.

Voices could be heard from the roof, and Jim grinned. “We've got 'em!"

They headed back inside, and as they went up the stairs to Major Crime they met Vera on her way back to her office.

"Hello, Vera! You okay?" Blair said.

"Yes, and a lot of that is thanks to you, and we all appreciate it. But Blair... I'm sorry, I know you've been busy - but I still need that urine sample!"

 


End file.
